Self-winding clock.



S, PRENTISS. SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1906 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED PEB, 18, v1908.

H. s. PRBNTISS. SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION ILED SEPT. 14, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. mul

PATENTED PEB. 1.8, 1908.

No. 879,411. PATENTED. FEB. 181908.

H. S. PRENTSSJ SELF WINDING APPLICATION FILE) SEPT'. 14, 1906.-

s SHEETS-SHEET s.

UNITED PATENT onirica..

HENRY s. PnnNTIss, or'nrrjziinnrn, Newy JERSEY.

sELF-WINDING CLOCK.

i No. 879,411.

I Applicationliled September 14.71906. i Serial'No. 334.661..

Specification of'Letters Patent.' i'

' Patented Feb.' 18, 1908;.

electrically controlled, the circuit being auto-` matically closedat statedperiods. It; has for its objectto provide andin'snre a more` perfect and morel certain circuitclosing mechanism'.

For 'thisl purpose my invention consists. essentially in the combination with a weight actatedclockmechanism of means to close an electric circuit when the weighthas def scended apredetermined distance and to thereby automatically return the weight t'o its active position.

The nature of' my invention will best be understood. in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- FV' ure 1 is a rear elevation of the self-windL ing c ockf. Fig. 2is aside elevation. Figi. 3 isa partial'section on the line 3%-3 Fig. .2,showing the weightin elevated or activeposition. Fig. 4 is a similar section but shows the weightl inl lowered position and the contact mechanism about to close the electric circuit.

Similar npmerals oi reference designate' corresponding parts throughout the several views'.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of a clock mechanism comprising the usualtrain of wheels, the center wheel 2 being mounted uponthe arbor 3,. 'Adjacent to the center wheel 2 and likewise mounted upon the shaft or arbor 3 is a ratchet wheel 4 engaged by a spring pressedpawl 5 mounted upon the actuating weight 6. The weight' is carried by. an arm 7, and is of suitable mass to drive the clock mechanism. The arm 7 carrying the weight 6 is mounted to rotateabout the `shait 3 andthe action of the weight throu Athe pawl 5 is to rotate the ratchet whe 4' and thereby the center wheel 2 andits shaft 3, thereby o erating the entire clock mechanism. -ln Fig. 3 the .weight 6 is shown in its elevated and active position while in Fig. 4 it is shown at the completion of its downward movement and about to be returned to the elevated position` shown in Fig. 3 through the following means. When the weight 6. has run down to the- Yposition shownin Fig. 4, it closes anelectric circuit thereby energizing an electro-ma n et 8 which attracts an armature 9 pivote .di-

rectly-above said electrofmagnet and normally heldv away from it by a spring 10.

' To the armature 9 is rigidly secured an arm L1- rovided with-the cross-.piece 12. In' rigi connectionwith the arm 7 but.- on; the

.Qppste side of the shaft 3 about whichit is a.

oadaptedto 'rotate isasecond arm 13.- Theweight and its arm therefore mQVe in' conjunction with the arm 13, and as the spondingly velevated -until its end comes in contact with the cross-piece 12, and is in the position shown in Fig. 4. To the arm 13 is also attached a blockof insulating material 14, which shares its motion and which cars ries at its top a contact brush-15. 4A-lever 1 6 is pivoted at'. 1,7 to the arm13; 'and likewise shares its motion. The inner arm l8r-of this lever. 16 normally bears against the collar upon the shaft 3 and has its upper edge ncrv melly out of contact4 withv the brush 15, The outer edge of said lever 16 is normally in the osition shown in Fig. 3 but when the weig t y 6 -has descended to the position shown in Fig. 4. and has thereby. ralsed the arm 13, the outerA arm of th`e lever 16 is forced .downwardly as.' shown in Fig. 4` by coming into contact jwith the cross-piece 12 as the arm 13 rises. As the outer arm of the lever 16 is thus forced downwardly by the l former. moves downward the latteris corre? cross-piece 12, its inner arm 18 is movedau T A wardly. andi. comes into contact with bru'sh'l making a rubbing contact.

brush 1:- 5 is connectedfwith one pole of.. they battery 20 by the' wire 19., and theother pole being-connected by thewire2-1 to the electro.-

magnet 8 which is also cnnected to the frame ever 16, andilikewise forces these downwardly, and in so doing raises the weight 6 back v'into ac tive position. The momentumavenir caused by the sudden downward movement l when the weight has 'descended a predeof the armature, causes the arm 13 to be' carried considerably beyonda horizontal position assuming a position approximately as shown in Fig. 3, and thereby leaving the cross-'piece 12 .and releasing the arm 16. The arm 18 therefore Jfalls back, and the circuit is broken and the armature 9 released.

The Weight 6 then again descends actuating.V

the clock mechanism until it reaches'thepo'- sition shownin Fig. 4, when the same oper: ation is repeated.

Of course I may provide the usual maintaining devices to correct for any time lost vduring the elevation of the weight,V but this is not usually necessary and forms no essential art of my invention. WIhat'I claim as new and desire to secure 1. The combination with a weight actuated clock mechanism, and anV electric circuit; of an electro-magnet in said/electric circuit provided with an armature carrying an arm having a cross-piece at its extremity,

a second arm adapted to oscillatenwithsaidf Weight, and means carried by said arm to close said electric circuit in conjunction with said cross-piece when the weight has descended a predetermined distance.

2. The combination with a weight actu ated clock mechanism, and an electric circuit; of an electro-magnet in said electric circuit provided with an armature carrying an arm having a cross-piece at its extremity, a second ,arm adapted to-oscillate with said weight, means Vcarried by said arm to close said electric circuit in conjunction with said cross-piece when the weight has descended a predetermined distance, and means to break said electric circuit.

3. The` combination 'with a clock mechanism, the center wheel arbor, a ratchet wheel mounted thereon, a weight carrying a spring pressed pawl engaging said ratchet Wheel and. adapted to rotate said arbor, and an electric circuit; of an electromagnet in said electric circuit provided with an armature carrying an arm'having a crosspiece at its extremity, a second arm adapted to oscillate with saidv weight, and means\`-carried by said second arm to lclose said electric cir- -cuit in conjunction with saidy cross-piece terminedldistanceA 4. The combination with a weightactuated clock mechanism and an electric circuit 3 of an electro-magnet in said electric circuit provided with an armature carrying an arm having a cross-piece at its extremity, a second arm adapted .to oscillate with said weight, a contact brush carried by said secondY arm, a lever pivoted upon said second arm and having its outer arm arranged to engage with said cross-piece when said weight has descended a predetermined distance and thereby bring its inner arm into to close said electric circuit, whereby the armature is attracted by the electro-magnet depressing the said arm and its cross-piece `rubbing contact with the said contact brush as well as the second arm and thereby re 4 storing the weight to its active position and breaking said electric circuit.

5. The combination with a clock mechanisni, the center wheel arbor, a ratchet wheel thereon, a`weight carrying a springl pressed pawl engaging said ratchet wheel and adapted to rotatesaid arbor, an electric circuit, and an electro-magnet in saidelectric circuit ,i of a circuit closing device comprisingv an armature arranged to be controlled by said electro-magnet and carrying an arm second arm adapted to oscillate with-said weight, a contact brush 'carried by said second arm, a lever pivoted upon said second arm its outer arm being adaptedto engage with said cross-piece When said Weight has descended a predetermined amount, and thereby bring itsinner arm into rubbing contact with. the said contact brush to electric circuit,- whereby the armature is attracted by the electro-magnet depressing said arm and lits cross-piece as well as the second arm and restoring the weight to its active yposition and breaking s`aid electricl circuit.

`Signed at New York, in the county of N eW York and State of New York, this 12th ,day

of Sept., A. D. 1906.' i

. HENRY S. PRENTISS. l Witnesses: Y

Y O. R. MiTcHELL, l F. B.`MAGKINNEY.

'having a cross-piece at its extremity, a`

close said 

